It is the responsibility of a mortician offering licensed mortuary services to prepare the body of the deceased in a manner in which the body can be viewed. For presentation during visitation, it is desirable that the body of the deceased be viewed with facial features appearing as natural as possible. In cases where embalming has been performed, the remains typically begin to dehydrate in the region of the mouth. Consequently, the deceased's lips may begin to part, making facial features and appearance look unnatural.
One option for handling dehydration around the mouth is a special embalming solution intended to address this problem. However, the use of these types of products can produce a residue that must then be masked to achieve a “natural” look. Since this masking takes place directly on the lips, it becomes very obvious and easy to see. Therefore, this solution only addresses the problem of the parting lips and not the primary responsibility of the mortician, which is to achieve the “natural” look.
Thus, the needs exists to provide a solution for keeping a deceased's upper and lower lips closed for viewing during funeral services without the use of specialized embalming solutions or masking techniques.